The High Plains aquifer underlies 111.8 million acres (about 175,000 square miles) in parts of eight States—Colorado, Kansas, 

Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming. The USGS report “Water-Level Changes and Change in 

Water in Storage in the High Plains Aquifer, Predevelopment to 2013 and 2011–13” presents water-level changes in the High Plains 

aquifer from the time before substantial groundwater irrigation development began (generally before 1950) to 2013 and from 2011–13. 

The report’s findings are:

• Water-level changes from predevelopment to 2013, by well, ranged from a rise of 85 feet to a decline of 256 feet;

• Area-weighted, average water-level changes in the aquifer was a decline of 15.4 feet from predevelopment to 2013;

• Area-weighted, average water-level changes in the aquifer was a decline of 2.1 foot from 2011–13;

• Total water in storage in the aquifer in 2013 was about 2.92 billion acre-feet;

• Change in water in storage, predevelopment to 2013, was a decline of 266.7 million acre-feet; and

• Change in water in storage, 2011–13, was a decline of 36.0 million acre-feet.

Acknowledgments

Most of the water-level data used in this report were 

provided by the following State, local, and Federal 

entities: Colorado Division of Water Resources; 

Kansas Department of Agriculture–Division of 

Water Resources; Kansas Geological Survey; 

Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation 

District; Nebraska Natural Resources Districts; 

University of Nebraska–Lincoln, Conservation and 

Survey Division; New Mexico Office of the State 

Engineer; Oklahoma Water Resources Board; South 

Dakota Department of Environment and Natural 

Resources; Texas Groundwater Conservation 

Districts; and Texas Water Development Board; 

Wyoming State Engineer’s Office; Bureau of 

Reclamation; and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 

USGS Scientific Investigations Report 2014-5218

McGuire, V.L., 2014, Water-Level Changes and 

Change in Water in Storage in the High Plains 

Aquifer, Predevelopment to 2013 and 2011–13, 

U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations 

Report 2014-5218, 14 p. [Available at http://dx.-

doi.org/10.3133/sir20145218/.]

Water-Level and Storage changes in the High Plains Aquifer, 

Predevelopment to 2013 and 2011–13

Water-level changes in the High Plains aquifer, predevelopment to 2013

Groundwater Resources Program

Publication Brief

U U

U

U U

U

U

U

105° 104° 98° 97° 103° 102° 101° 100° 99°

43°

42°

41°

40°

39°

38°

37°

36°

35°

34°

33°

32°

SOUTH DAKOTA WYOMING

KANSAS

COLORADO

NEW MEXICO

TEXAS

OKLAHOMA

NEBRASKA

0 25 50 75 100 MILES

0 25 50 75 100 KILOMETERS

North Platte River

Platte River

Republican River

South Platte River

Arkansas River

Canadian River

10 to 25

5 to 10

25 to 50

More than 50

Area of little or no saturated thickness

Area of water-level changes with few 

predevelopment water levels (Lowry 

and others 1967; Luckey and others, 1981; 

University of Nebraska–Lincoln, 

Conservation and Survey Division, 2013)

Fault—U, upthrown side

County boundary

No substantial change

-5 to +5

Rises

EXPLANATION

Water-level change, in feet

Declines

More than 150

100 to 150

50 to 100

25 to 50

10 to 25

 5 to 10

U

U U

U

U U

U

U

U

105° 104° 98° 97° 103° 102° 101° 100° 99°

43°

42°

41°

40°

39°

38°

37°

36°

35°

34°

33°

32°

SOUTH DAKOTA WYOMING

KANSAS

COLORADO

NEW MEXICO

TEXAS

OKLAHOMA

NEBRASKA

0 25 50 75 100 MILES

0 25 50 75 100 KILOMETERS

North Platte River

Platte River

Republican River

South Platte River

Arkansas River

Canadian River

10 to 25

5 to 10

25 to 50

More than 50

Area of little or no saturated thickness

Area of water-level changes with few 

predevelopment water levels (Lowry 

and others, 1967; Luckey and others, 1981; 

University of Nebraska–Lincoln, 

Conservation and Survey Division, 2013)

Fault—U, upthrown side

County boundary

No substantial change

-5 to +5

Rises

EXPLANATION

Water-level change, in feet

Declines

More than 150

100 to 150

50 to 100

25 to 50

10 to 25

 5 to 10

U

For more information, contact:

Director

USGS Nebraska Water Science Center

5231 S. 19th Street

Lincoln, NE 68512

(402)328-4100

http://ne.water.usgs/gov